1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner container for use with a developing device in an image forming apparatus, for example, a laser printer and, more particularly, to such a toner container, which is equipped with a sliding cover adapted for closing/opening toner supply openings.
2. Description of the Related Art
A regular process cartridge for laser printer is generally comprised of an electrophotographic photosensitive member, developing means, charging means, cleaning means, and a toner container. When the toner of the toner container used up, the whole assembly of the process cartridge becomes useless and must be thrown away. It is not economic to throw the whole assembly of the process cartridge away after empty of the process cartridge. Further, the waste process cartridge may cause pollution to the environment if it is not well disposed of.
The present invention has been accomplished to eliminate the aforesaid drawbacks. In one aspect, the present invention relates to a toner container for use with a developing device in a laser printer, which enables the user to replace the toner container without throwing the whole assembly of the process cartridge away when the toner of the toner container is depleted. In order to make the toner container replaceable, the toner container is provided with movable means that can easily and freely be moved between two positions to close/open the toner passage. According to one aspect of the present invention, the toner container is used with a developing device in a laser printer, comprising a toner accommodating portion adapted for accommodating toner, a stirring member adapted for stirring the toner in the toner accommodating portion, toner supplying openings for output of the toner from the toner container to the developing device, a sliding cover adapted for closing/opening the toner supplying openings, and projections respectively protruded from the sliding cover and adapted for engaging into toner receiving openings of the developing device to enable the toner container to be moved relative to the sliding cover and the developing device to close/open the toner supplying openings.